Serbia: Knife-Wielding Attacker Shot Dead Outside Israeli Embassy In Belgrade

A knife-wielding attacker was shot dead by Serbian police after assaulting a security officer guarding the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade early on Wednesday, October 28, in an incident authorities are treating as a terrorist attack.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed an attempted terrorist attack near the embassy, saying no mission personnel were injured and the building was closed when the incident occurred. The Serbian officer sustained a minor facial injury.

Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said the incident took place shortly after midnight, when an unidentified assailant attacked a member of the country’s Gendarmerie, an elite police unit, with two knives. The attacker was reportedly shouting “Allahu Akbar” during the assault. The officer fired at the assailant in self-defence, killing him, Dacic said. The injured officer was reported to be in stable condition and expected to be discharged from hospital.

Dacic said Serbia’s security agencies had been monitoring the attacker, whom he described as a supporter of the Islamic State group. According to the minister, the suspect had displayed the group’s black flag on his Instagram account. The attacker’s identity had not been officially established at the time of the initial statements, and the circumstances surrounding the assault remained under investigation.

Following the incident, Serbia raised its terrorist threat alert to the highest level and ordered increased police deployments and security checks at key locations, including critical infrastructure and places where large numbers of people gather. Authorities said the investigation was continuing. Israel’s Foreign Ministry also confirmed that the embassy was closed at the time of the attack and that no embassy staff members were harmed.

Second Attack on Embassy Security in Two Years

The incident follows an attack in June 2024, when a man armed with a crossbow wounded a Serbian police officer guarding the same Israeli Embassy. The assailant was subsequently shot dead. The latest assault has renewed attention on security around Israeli diplomatic missions in the region.

The incident comes at a politically sensitive time for Serbia, following a parliamentary election on October 25 in which a student-led movement defeated the camp of longtime leader Aleksandar Vučić.

His allies, however, remain in control of the police while a new government is formed. Serbia has maintained close ties with Israel, including cooperation on defence technology, making the attack on the Israeli diplomatic mission a matter of wider bilateral concern.